‘Divine Seed of Heroes, Shining Pearl’: Margaret’s Image in Music

The article first examines the dual meaning of the Italian word ‘margherita’, highlighting its uses in the context of poetic texts dedicated to Margaret of Parma. It examines the two texts for Margaret set to music by Arcadelt, discussing their respective contexts and proposing for the first of them a versification different from the commonly accepted one. It analyzes the only madrigal collection entirely dedicated to Margaret of Parma, the second book of madrigals by Giovanni Francesco Alcarotti. Finally, through a careful reading of the canzone "Questo sì ch’è felice e lieto giorno", set to music by different authors, the historical event that this canzone intends to celebrate is identified as the taking of Valenciennes by troops coordinated by Margaret.